BOC foils third try at agri smuggling in Mindanao

On Jul 23, 2022

Standing behind a container load of smuggled onions, Port of Cagayan de Oro officials hold some of the sacks of the smuggled merchandize worth some P21 million apprehended last July 22, 2022. The consignee, Primex Export and Import Producer, was twice previously apprehended at the port this month alone also for agricultural smuggling (photo credit: BOC-PIAD).

ALERT Bureau of Customs personnel at the Port of Cagayan de Oro headed by Coll. Elvira Cruz, foiled a third attempt by a trading company to smuggle into the country smuggled red and white onions from China.

In a report to Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, Cruz identified the repeat offender as ‘Primex Export and Import Producer,’ which tried to brought in 4 container vans of smuggled onions declared as ‘spring roll patti’ at the Mindanao Container Terminal Port located inside the PHIVIDEC compound in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental last July 22, 2022.

However, actual physical examination jointly conducted by the BOC and representatives from the Bureau of Plant Industry, representatives from the brokers’ group and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, instead found hundreds of sacks of red and white onions.

The inspection was conducted on the basis of a ‘Pre-Lodgment Control Order’ (PLCO) signed by Cruz two days previously.

Three more containers of smuggled onions consigned to ‘Frankie Trading Enterprises’ declared as ‘Yung Butter/Dairy Spreads’ were also seized at the same time.

Cruz placed the value of the apprehended smuggled agricultural products at more than P21 million.

It would be the third time this month alone that Primex got busted for agricultural smuggling, the first last July 7, 2022, also at the Mindanao Container Port and the second, just last July 13, 2022 (Pinoy Exposé, July 18, 2022), after it got caught with more than P12 million worth of red and white onions also declared as spring roll patti.